Inside the playbook used to dupe Hongkongers into making big beauty product buys

Hong Kong customs is expanding its investigation into Opatra London, a UK-based luxury beauty chain originally known as Oro Gold, following complaints about high-pressure sales tactics involving purchases of up to HK$100,000 (US$12,800). Former employees and customers of similar beauty chains report that the sales approach feels familiar. Although Opatra London has distanced itself from local distributor Sayles Retail over allegations of deceptive practices and denied any connection to another business called Orogold, industry insiders note striking similarities in sales tactics between the brands. Ms Chan*, a former junior employee at Orogold, said she earned about HK$30,000 a month by bringing potential buyers into the store, where senior staff would pitch products. Top sales representatives could earn six figures monthly due to exceptionally high commission rates. Chan resigned after less than a year due to the intense pressure. She described training aimed at identifying affluent individuals responsive to compliments and easily manipulated. The goal was to secure the largest possible transaction in a single visit rather than fostering repeat business. Chan recalled an elderly woman in her sixties who spent an entire afternoon in the shop and ultimately spent HK$600,000. Staff used a deliberate script, often starting with offering passers-by an eye cream sample near the shop entrance to demonstrate an instant lifting effect.